In "Missing Your People: Why Belonging Is So Important And How To Create It," Tracy Brower explains the science of human belonging and how to cultivate it.
Pair “Missing Your People: Why Belonging is So Important and How to Create It” with “Parental Incarceration Is a Silent American Epidemic More Common Than Childhood Asthma” and ask students to discuss why a sense of belonging is especially important for children of incarcerated parents. According to “Missing Your People: Why Belonging is So Important and How to Create It,” why is a sense of belonging important for all people? According to “Parental Incarceration Is a Silent American Epidemic More Common Than Childhood Asthma,” what are some of the negative effects of children having a parent in prison? Based on both tests, how does social exclusion impact the person experiencing it? Why might it be more difficult for children with incarcerated parents to find healthy and meaningful ways to belong? What are the recommended strategies for creating a sense of belonging discussed in “Missing Your People: Why Belonging is So Important and How to Create It”? How could these strategies be used individually and collectively to help children with incarcerated parents to establish supportive social connections?